Shipping package assembly



Dec. 16, 1952 R. DE PACE SHIPPING PACKAGE ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 1, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Mr. John Doe, No.0 Blank Sf" Blank C/fy, Pa.

IN VEN TOR.

ROBERT De PACE ldallfer H2 Pampfire Dec. 16, 1952 R. DE PACE SHIPPING PACKAGE ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 1, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 The XYZ Pub. Co., No.2 Mam Sfreef, 13 B/ank C/fy, Pa.

Mr. John Doe; No.0 Blank SA, B/ank C/ry, Pa.

h Xrz Pub. Co., No. 2 Ma/n Sfreef, Z3 Blank C/fy, Pa.

Ace. No. I23.

July Book $2.00 Augusf Book 2.00 $4.00

Mr. John 00, a No. 0 Blank 51K, Blank C lfy, Pa-

Acc. Iva/23.

a Mr. John Doe 6 No.0 Blank 5%.,

Blank C/fy, Pa.

July Book $2.00 Augusf Book 2.00 $4.00

. 7: INVENTOR.

Mar pa 511 076 Patented Dec. 16, 1952 UNITED STATES PA SHIPPING PACKAGE ASSEMBLY Robert De Pace, Douglaston, N. Y. Application November 1, 1949, Serial No. 124,746

This invention relates to a method and means for assembling a package of merchandise such as a book or like article, for shipment by mail, express or other system of delivery.

The object of the invention is to effect the assembly expeditiously and economically as a hand operation, Without the aid of machinery or skilled labor and provide an exposed destination address for delivery of the package, protected from contact defacement or other damage in transit and a return address for use of the receiver in acknowledging receipt and sending a remittance covering a charge for the article.

The present-day practice of shipping millions of books monthly, is to enclose them individually in cartons, to which, after sealing or otherwise closing the same, is added the destination address. This is done by machine-pasting or gluing an envelope, windowed to expose the contained address, or a label bearing the address, on the outside of the carton, where it is exposed to defacement or other damage from careless handling in transit and, as no provision is made for the convenience of the receiver of the package in acknowledging receipt and mailing a remittance covering the charge for the book, he is required to furnish and address a return envelope for that purpose.

In carrying the present invention into effect, an outer carton-like container is employed but, differing from the conventional form, it is windowed to expose a portion of the contents that bears the destination address for delivery of the package. The carton is dimensioned to provide a snug fit for the book so that when the latter is entered therein, it cannot shift about.

Enclosed in the carton with the book, there is a statement of account, which may be in the form of a tabulating card or a folded sheet. The statement shows the charge for the book and other items, if any are overdue, also the name and address of the person to whom the book is to be sent, which is utilized as the destination address for delivery of the package, by positioning the statement in the carton with the address thereon exposed in such relation to the carton window as to be visible through the same. I

To position the statement as above described, it is preferably enclosed in an envelope, windowed to expose the address thereon and the envelope is then placed on the book before the latter is entered in the carton, with the flap tucked in between the cover and/or the pages. Thus arranged, it is frictionally held securely against displacement and when entered with the book in the carton, is'protected against contact defacement or other damage in transit.

5 Claims (Cl. 206-47) When the package is delivered and opened and the book, with the statement-enclosing envelope frictionally held therein, is withdrawn from the carton, the envelope, intact and undamaged, becomes available to the receiver of the book for the return to the sender of the statement and an accompanying remittance. For the convenience of the receiver in making the return, the statement has printed on the back the address of the sender of the package which is positioned, when the statement is reversed and again entered in the envelope, to register with and be exposed through the window thereof as the return mailing address.

Other features of the invention, not specially mentioned above, will be brought to attention in the detailed description that follows.

The accompanying drawings will serve to illustrate an assembly embodying the invention, but it will be understood that no limitations are intended by this showing other than are imposed by the appended claims.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the package assembled and ready for shipment.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the assembly of the book and statement-containing envelope before being entered in the carton, showing the flap of the envelope tucked in and frictionally held between the upper cover and leaves of the book.

Fig. 3 is a front view of an envelope of a size to take a tabulating card, showing the flap formed at the lower edge below the Windowed address.

Fig. 4 is a face view of a tabulating card, showing the destination address thereon that appears through the windows of the envelope and the carton.

Fig. 5 is a like view of the opposite side of the card, showing the return mailing address that appears through the window of the envelope when the card is reversed therein.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of an envelope of the same construction but of smaller size to accommodate a folded sheet form of statement.

Fig. '7 is a face view showing the sheet form of statement before being folded for insertion in the envelope to expose the destination address, as shown in Fig. 6, and

Fig. 8 shows the statement reversely folded to position the return address and expose the same through the window of the envelope on mailing a remittance, etc., to the sender of the package.

Referring now to the drawings, i represents a stout carton-like shipping container for a book or like article 2. The carton is closely proportioned to the dimensions of the book to insure a snug fit and prevent the book from shifting about therein. It is entered in the carton through the open side 3, which is closed by an integral flap 4, secured in any suitable or conventional manner.

The carton is provided with a window 5, similarly positioned for all sizes of cartons, preferably at the lower left hand corner thereof, to expose a portion of its contents bearing the destination address of the package, indicated at 6 which is protected by the carton from defacing contact or other damage in transit.

Associated with the book in the carton, there is a communication in reference to the same, here shown in the form of a statement of account 6, which bears the address 6*, previously referred to, that is exposed through the window of the carton and, as stated, serves to indicate the destination for the delivery of the package.

The statement may be in the form of a tabulating card 1 or a folded sheet 8 and is preferably enclosed in an envelope 9, windowed at In, to expose the address, which is ordinarily positioned in the lower portion, near the left hand end of the card, as shown in Fig. 4, and is similarly positioned on the outer side of the upper fold of the sheet, as shown in Fig. 7. As the card and folded sheet are of conventional form, the punched holes and greater portion of the usual printed matter appearing thereon, have been omitted from. the drawings.

The envelope is smaller in length and width than the book and is standardized for books and cartons of all sizes. Differing from the ordinary envelope, which has the flap at the upper edge above the address, the flap II, on the envelope 9, is at the lower edge l2, below the windowed ad dress. Thus formed, the flap is utilized by being tucked in between the upper cover and the leaves,

to removably secure the envelope on the book,

positioned, when they are enteredin the carton, to bring the window of the envelope into registering relation with the window of the carton, to expose the destination address of the package, preferably at the lower left hand corner, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the use of a statement in the form of a folded sheet, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the windowed, return envelope may be omitted from the assembly, if found desirable, and a fold of the sheet tucked in between the book cover and the leaves, to secure the addressed fold thereon, positioned, as above described, when they are entered in the carton, to be exposed through the window thereof.

When the carton is opened by the receiver of the package, the common and generally employed method of removing the book, is to grasp it between the thumb and first and second fingers and thus exert sufiicient pressure on the book covers to insure withdrawal of the frictionally held statement or envelope containing it, with the book. This avoids loss of the statement which, otherwise, might be left. unnoticed in the carton and thrown away.

When the book and windowed envelope con' taining the statement are thus withdrawn from the carton, the envelope will be found intact, uninjured and available for use in returning the statement and a remittance to the sender of the package.

For the convenience of the receiver in making the return, the senders address is printed on the back of the statement, as indicated at [3, and positioned, when the statement is reversed in the envelope, t register with and be exposed at the window thereof and it only remains to seal and stamp the envelope and it is ready for mailing.

Prominent among the advantages of the invention, may be mentioned the following:

Assembling the package is a hand operation and requires neither machinery nor skilled labor.

No paste, glue or other adhesive is employed in assembling the package.

The windowed carton enables an address on the contents to serve as the destination address of the package.

The car-ton protects the destination address from contact defacement or other injury in transit.

The article shipped, the book, is utilized to position and secure the destination address in registering relation with the window of the carton.

The flap of the windowed envelope is utilized to secure the addressed statement to the book and positioned as secured, to register with the window of the carton.

Securing the statement or the envelope containing the same, between the cover and leaves, at the lower left hand corner of the book, fixes and standardizes the position of the carton window for books and cartons of all sizes and enables the size of the return envelopes to be likewise standardized.

Removal of the book from the carton, automatically withdraws the statement and/or return envelope containing the same and thus insures against loss of either or both, by being overlooked and left in and thrown away with the carton.

The windowed envelope remains intact and uninjured in transit and is available for use in returning a remittance and the statement to the sender of the package.

The reversible statement bearing destination and return addresses on opposite sides, enables the envelope to serve two useful purposes: first, to position the destination address on the outgoing trip and second, as a convenient mailing carrier in making a return.

If the receiver of a book, sent on approval, decides to return it to the sender, it is only necessary to reverse the statement in the windowed envelope, reassemble and mail the package.

As many other important advantages will be apparent from the foregoing, it will not be necessary to list them.

I claim:

1. A shipping package consisting of an outer carton-like container windowed to expose a portion of the contents bearing the destination address of the package, a book enclosed within the carton together with a separate communication sheet bearing the aforesaid address, an unsealed windowed return envelope in which the communication sheet is enclosed and through the window of which the address on the sheet appears, and means associated with the envelope for utilizing the book in transit to secure the envelope with its window in registering relation with the window of the carton to expose the destination address to which the package is to be delivered, the said means consisting of the flap of the envelope inserted between the cover and leaves of the book.

2. A shipping package consisting of an outer carton-like container windowed to expose a portion of the contents bearing the destination address of the package, a book enclosed within the carton together with a communication sheet unattached and bearing the aforesaid and a return address, a windowed envelope in which the sheet is enclosed, the first mentioned address being exposed in transit to the destination in the aforesaid windowed envelope, and means for utilizing the envelope and communication sheet assembly in association with the book to position the destination address for exposure through the window of the carton for the delivery of the. package and to thereafter provide a mailing address for the return of the communication sheet in the envelope to the sender of the package, the said means consisting of an inserted portion of the aforesaid envelope and sheet assembly between the cover and leaves of the book.

3. A shipping package consisting of an outer carton-like container Windowed to expose a portion of the contents bearing the destination address of the package, a book enclosed within the carton together with a communication sheet bearing the aforesaid and a return address, a windowed return envelope in which the sheet is enclosed and through the window of which the first mentioned address appears, the flap of the envelope being frictionally secured to the book by being inserted between the cover and leaves to definitely position it on the same with the window thereof in registering relation with the window of the carton to expose the destination address to which the package is to be delivered.

4. A shipping package, as defined in claim 3, in which the flap is formed at the lower edge of the return envelope below the window therein and the window is cut out adjacent to the lower edge.

5. A shipping package consisting of an outer carton-like container windowed to expose a portion of the contents bearing the destination address of the package, a book enclosed within the carton together with a communication sheet bearing the aforesaid address, a windowed return envelope enclosing the sheet and through the window of which the aforesaid address appears, a portion of the envelope being frictionally secured to the book between the cover and the leaves to definitely position the address and being removable therefrom intact for subsequent .use in returning the communication sheet to the sender of the package, the window of the envelope as positioned on the book registering with the window of the carton to expose the destination address to which the package is to be delivered.

ROBERT DE PACE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 867,613 Scragg Oct. 8, 1907 1,283,680 Corcoran Nov. 5, 1918 2,022,906 Weeks Dec. 3, 1935 2,296,556 Junkin Sept. 22, 1942 2,355,348 Welliver et al. Aug. 8, 1944 

